Railroad danger-signaling and telephoning apparatus.



No. 888,288. f PA'ADNTED APR. 2 8, 1808. D.. SUGHROUB. RAILROAD DANGER SIGNALING AND TDLDPHONING APPARATUS.

APDL'IGATION H LBD MAY 18; 1907.

zsHDBTs-SHEDT A1.

Wi Meana nieuw? PATBNTHTJ APR. 28, 1908. B. SUGHROUB.'

RAILROAD DANGER SIGNALING AND TBLEPHONING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

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Edwalgfoue attenua Y ninviiiinl sUGnRoUE, or Bimini', NEBRASKA.

RAILROAD LANGER-SIG-NALLFG AND TELEPHONING APPARATUS.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 28, 190.

Application led'May 18, 1907. Serial No. 374,329.

To all w71 om it 'may concern: .l Beit known that 1,' EDWARD Sncnaonn, a

'citizen of the United States, residing at Bartley, iii the county of Redwillow and State'of Nebraska; have invented new and .useful Improvements in Railroad Danger- Signaling and 'lelephoning Apparatus,A of which the following is a specification.

: .This invention relates to a railroad danger signal oi'l that ty ie whereby a red light, rocket or the like can be set oii" to notii'y the engineer oi' an approaching train of danger` ahead, so that he-can stop the train before an acciy dent occurs.

^ .The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the organization and arrangementof apparatus of this character so as to be comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture and install, thoroughly reliable and ellicient in use, and composed of few part-s. w

' 'A further object of the invention is the provision of a pyrotechnic signal associated with a telephone system connected with ythe stations along the road, whereby current from the'generators lor the like can be employed for firing off the signal or signals.

A still furtherobject is the employment of an emergency device for stopping a-locomotive in case the engineer should run past a signal without vheading the same,- the said emergency device being thrown into operative position by the means for setting off the signa-l.`

Another-object is the provision of a cornbined signaling and engine sto ping device which can be readily controlled I y the operator at either of two adjacent stations or at a ,oii'it intermediate the station by a person having the necessary apparatus, such for instance las a portable magneto ytele )hone set lthat can be 'cdnnected in circuit wit the telephones at the stations and with the circuit including the signaling devices, whereby the station operators can be informed or the signaling circuit energized for setting ofi1 the signais'. y a iWith these objects in view and others, as

Y`Will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of' parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

ln v'the aeco'in ia'nying drawings, which illustrate one of t el embodiments of the invention, Figur'l is a diagr minatic view of thehteiephone and signaling circuits. 2

is a vertical section of one of the combined signahngdevices and trips tor the engine 5J stop. lFig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3, Fig. 2.

showing the automatic stopping device.

Fig. 5 is a ydetail perspective view'of the lower m,

ticularly to Fig. i, A. designates the rails of a raiiroad track between i. rhichaii'd 'at suitably remote points are locatedsignahng devices designated by B Whiclr are adapted to be set ofi' by suitable apparatus'at the nearest station or by apparatus of portable forni 8o which can be connected in circuit at any point intermediate the station, as for instanceby a brakeman oi" other train hand, it being advantageous for all trains to -be equipped with one or more portable apparatus for connecting in circuit at any desired point as occasion requires. yIn the present instance, the signaling devices are associated with a telephone system extending from station to station. sets designated generally by C each includes a magneto l for 4th'e ringing current of the telephone. IThe magnetos are connected with the signaling devices B by the conductor 2 in which the devices arearranged 95 in series relation, so..that ali of 'them will' be set ofi at once to insure atleast one signal being displayed -in front of the engine. Between the two telephone .sets C are line wires 3 an(i.4to which may ibe connecte'd`100 a portable telephone vset designated by D. At each telephone set is a switch 5 whereby the magnetosmay be connected with the telephone circuit for sending a ringin rent or whereby they may be connected the conductor 2 for sending current to -actuate the signaling devices vB, one of the line wires ofthe telephone circuit being employed to forinthe other side of the signaling circuit. nected batteries E for'suppl'ying the current- Normally the switches 5=will be the A Figeisavertical longitudinal section ol the cab end of the locomotive,

The telephone 'cur- With With the station sets C are co'Ii- '11i ring position which is fired by a firing pin 15.

position shown so that upon operating any of the magnets, current will be supplied for tiring off th'e pyrot'echnic signaling. devices. Assuming that the magneto 1 at the left hand telephone set is actuated, current will be supphed to the circuit includin the switch 5, conductor 2, devices B, switci 5 at the right-hand telephone set, shunt S around the magneto of the said set, conductor 6, line wire 8 of the telephone circuit, conductor 7, and back to the armature oi' the niagneto 1 ol the left-hand telephonel set. By the same circuit, the signaling devices can be set otl by current produced by the ma L.

neto of the right-hand telephone set. n case the portable set l) is connected in cir cuit for actuating the signaling devices, the current would traverse one part oi' the line wire 3, shunt S of one of the station telephone sets, conductor 2, devices B, shunt S oi the other telephone station set, and back to the magneto oil set D through the other portion of the line wire 3. By throwing the switches 5 so as to connect with the wire 4 a person can ring up the personsv at the other telehone sets and hold conversation over the ine Wires 3 and 4 by means ol the transmitters and receivers 8 and 9, respectively. ln a combined system of the character described, messages .can be transmitted from one station to the other or by a brakeman or other train hand` to either or both stations from an intermediate point in the case of trouble so that the station operators can inform the proper railroad ollicials and take ordersv therefrom in View of' the trouble that has arisen. Furthermore, it enables visual signaling devices to be readily `controlled so as to avoid accident to trains running over the road. I Referring now to the details ot' construction of the signaling devices B, it will be observed that between the rails ot' the track are arranged casings or boxes l0 buried in the roadbed, as further shown in Fig. 4 and containing the operating parts of the devices B. In each box 1 is a removable casing 11, as shown in Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive, that contains one or more rockets 12 or other suitable yrotechnic contrivance. Each rocket has a use 13 provided with a cap or cartridge 14 Preferably the firing pins are arranged on an armature 16 provided in' an oset compartment 17 of the casing 11 and arranged to be actuated to by electro-magnets' 18 yconnected in circuit with the magnetos by the conductor 2. As shown in Fig. '3, the c0nductor 2 is cut at each device -B and the ends secured to binding posts 19, one of the latter being connected directly with the elect'ro magnets 18, and the other with a switch 20 that opens and closes the circuit by the movement of the armature 16. `Attached to the armature is a helical 'contractile spring 21 seance which moves the armature on the tiring stroke. Normally the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and as soon as current is produced by any magneto, the armature will be drawn toward the cores ol' the magneto and innnediately open the cir cuit by the switch 2() and permit the armature to fiy back under the tension of the siring 2l and thereby cause the fuses to light. Ylt' the caps should not be tired on the Alirst impulse, the continued operation ol the armature 16 under the How oi current from the magneto 'would positively insure th setting oli' of the signals.

As a further safeguard, an emergencyv mechanism, is employed for bringing the Q train to rest in case the engineer should lor any reason: fail to the signal and attempt to pass by the same. For this .iurpose, each device B is provided with a trip 32 mounted on the cover "2"? ot' the casing il. Normally the trip is held. in lowered position and. is adapted to he thrown to raised position when the rockets are set oli. For this purpose, the

cover is provided with torsional spring 24, Fig. 2, that tends to throw the cevf upwardly on its hinge 25, and when the zo er is in normal position, it is locked by means of the armature lo which` is in the iorin of a latch for engaging a catch 27 on the under side of the cover. By this arrangement, the energizing ot the electro magnets i8 causes the armature to be released so that the cover 23 and trip 22 will spring to the upright position shown in Fig. 4. 'l`he trip 22, when in upright position, is in the path of the mechanism of the locomotive for automatically closing the throttle. On the locomotive designated generally by F, Fig. 4, is a lever 2S extending through the .lloor 29 of the cab and iulcrumed at 30, there being formed at the lower end ol thc lever a shoe Si for engaging the trip 22. 'l`ho upper end ol the lever is connected by a link 32 with a second lever 33 fulcrumcd on the front of the' boiler at 84 and provided with a wedgeshaped upper extremity or cani 35 tor engaging the latch 36 on the throttle lever 37 ot' the locomotive. This lever is provided with a spring 38 that tends to operate through the lever to set the thri'ittle valve 3) but is pre vented by means of the latch 36, Fig. enf gaging the toothed section 4U, Fig. 4. When the shoe 3l strikes the trip 22, the upper end of the lever 33 is moved rearwardly so as to cause the Wedge 35 to automatically disengage the latch 36 for' permitting the throttle to close under the eltect of the spring 38, theby bringing the locomotive to a stand sti From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawin s, the advantages of the construction and of t ie method of 'o eration will be readily apparent to those skillied in the art to which the nivcnfrom the catch 27 y 4 'the combination of a device, means for iirin Ymature for setting off the deviceand releastion appertains, andivliile l have described the principle of operation oli the invention, together With the apparatus which l .now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired, as are withintlie scope of the claims.

Having tlius described the invention, what! I claim is:- '1.111 a signaling system, the combination f of' a plurality of p'yrotechnic signalingl devices, mechanical means for igniting eacli device, and electrical means for simultaneously actuating the mechanical means of the 'several devices.

2.-'In an yapparatus of the class described, pyi'oteclinic signaling the same, an engine stop, and a manually-cont`rolled electric circuit for simultaneously actuating the said means and stop from a distant point.

. 3. In an apparatusof the class described, the combination of va pyroteehnic signaling device, means for firing thedevice, an'eiginej stolp, a system for transmitting messages and inc uding a' generator, and means for actuating the firing means and said stop by current derived from the generator. Y

'4. In an apparatus of tlie class described. the `combination of a plurality of signalinc- I devices, a telephone system including generators, 'and means for connecting tliegenerar tors in circuit' for setting o the signaling devices or producing ringing. current in. the telephone'syste'm: 5. lIn' asignaling system, the combination of a visual signaling device including a iirinc. means, a mechanical means for setting n the firing means and for releasing the second device to move. to o erative position, and vapparatusfor controllinv the said 'mechanic l meansirom anydesireda point.

6. In a systemjofthe class described, the combination of a visual signaling'device includingv a firing cap, a iirinodevice for the cap, a means for actuating tl e device, and a train stopping apparatus :controlled byA the said firing device.

7.. In an apparatusv of the class described, the combination of a visual signal device, an engine stop, an electro magnet having an ar-A ing the stop,v means for holding'thestop in normal position, and an electric circuitvincluding the electro magnet.

-eiectre-magnei 8., In an apparatus of the class described, l

tiiercombinati'n of teie none system in.

eluding nag tos, aa iiurality et' signalingde vices, and means ior connecting the devices in circuit for actuating them at one time by ti e class described,

ion' conn-ec telephone plione'set, with visua-i electricai means jor from any 'of said cumbia f ion oi a railway track, with a filing and traiii-stopg'iing 'decomprising visual si nal, tlieeignai, a member a apt- .adjacent the track Teparatory te t ig' of the siirn'al andi'or sto ping "raiii. and. a continuing ineans'ier tne devia a can, an armature, a iiring pin on the armature for striiiii'ig the cap, a spring 'for moving the armature in ine direction, an electro-` magnet for moving the armature in the oppcsite direi-,tiem and atrain stopping device nornialiy lielil in inoperative position by the armature and re ed from the iatter by the een iination of a casing, a cover tiiei'eifor i'ori 1 a train, stopping device, means :tor throw ig the cover to operative positioi'i, a visuai signal contained in the cas ing, ii'ieans ior iiiingtlie signal and for hold ing tiic cover normally in' inoperative position, and a controlling ineens. l

'opaiatus o the class described,l

'device for the said4 ne system in-- uit, with a cenibined train stopln testimony whereof, l alli-x my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWARD SUGHHOUIC.

W'itnesses: 

